


is this supposed to be a Wunderkammen?

by sora_san89



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Eventual KageTsukki, Friendship, M/M, Slow Build, first fic, i don't know how to tag stuff, idk why i did this, more characters appear later, some drama?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-19
Updated: 2016-01-08
Packaged: 2018-04-27 03:16:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5031703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sora_san89/pseuds/sora_san89
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Suddenly, the task of opening a closet became something to look forward to.</p><p>Well.... maybe.</p><p>[a KageTsukki AU within an AU thingy]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in AO3! And it's KageTsukki to boot. Please don't hate me too much.
> 
> Ahh... my summary doesn't make sense! (TAT) There might be some confusing parts here and there, and I am not a native English speaker, so grammar and spelling errors are ever-present! Oh, and it might be OOC at times! Please tell me if there are OOC parts. Sorry about that!
> 
> Nevertheless, please enjoy :D
> 
> [I do not own Haikyuu!!]

_ _ _

  
The first time it happened, he lost his favorite pair of headphones.  
  
Tsukishima swore he turned his room upside down, and no matter how much he scoured the place, he couldn't find those freaking headphones.  
  
The only thing he remembers was that he placed them in his closet before he went to sleep.  
  
Well, his closet was HUGE.  
  
It was given to him as a present from a distant and rumoredly eccentric aunt, sent via delivery, which is why he couldn't just possibly return it (and who in their right minds would give a closet as a gift for a teenager's 17th bithday anyway?). The piece of furniture loomed even higher than him and took up a lot of space in his room, not to mention it looked like it was from the 15th century or something.  
  
 _"Don't be like that Kei! Your aunt actually took the effort to send it exactly on your birthday; the least you could do is use it."_ His mother had reasoned when he voiced his complaints. No luck there, it seems.  
  
He opened the cabinet one more time and rifled through the amount of stuff he had. After about fifteen minutes of copious searching, he gave up. Tsukishima glanced at the mirror mounted firmly on the inside of the cabinet's right door, seeing his own reflection mocking his futile efforts.  
  
Dammit, he thought. Those things were expensive.  
  
Oh well. He sighed, temporarily surrendering to the fact that he might never see his precious headphones again. As he replaced his things one last time, Tsukishima silently cursed whatever invisible force continued afflicting him.

  
_ _ _

  
  
He never did manage to find those headphones of his. Instead, he found something different.  
  
It was two days after 'the missing headphones' incident. Tsukishima grabbed a change of clothes in his cabinet when something fell from within and rolled noisily at his feet. Curiosity got ahead of him and he picked the item up.  
  
It was plain weird.  
  
Tsukishima doesn't remember owning a ring. Ever.  
  
It was a golden signet ring, with monogrammed letters "TK" (or was it "KT"?) engraved fancily. There were small, blue gems adorning the band, shimmering brightly when light hits its surface.  
  
Well, that was one extravagant ring.  
  
Tsukishima had a feeling that he just found incident number two.

  
_ _ _

 

"Morning Tsukki! Wow, what's that?"  
  
The said blonde glanced slightly at the approaching form of Yamaguchi Tadashi, the only person ever to call him with such an absurd nickname. He nodded his head in acknowledgement to the greeting, all the while tracing the ring he currently held with his fingers. The two gradually moved in a comfortable pace as they walked together to school.  
  
"I dunno. Found it in the closet yesterday." He replied, examining the ring by raising it towards the morning sunrays. Even with only a fraction of light the ring literally sparkled, its blue gems gleaming like still ocean waters at high noon. Tsukishima's eyes narrowed at the brightness and he handed the object to his friend. "Want to check it out?"  
  
Yamaguchi smiled as he accepted the offer. Tsukishima watched as his friend examined the ring as he did, occasionally exclaiming remarks such as "Do you think this is real gold?" or "I wonder who this T.K. is. Maybe it's actually yours?"  
  
"I don't know" and "Nope, it's not" were his replies. He really did not want anything to do with the ring, and the thought of owning something as lavish as such made him cringe.  
  
"If it isn't yours, why is it in your closet?"  
  
Ah. Now the answer to that question still eluded him. For all he knows, the thing might be a prank. Who would have the guts and time to put it in his cabinet though? Was it also the same person who took his headphones? Now that might seem far-fetched but anything could've happened, right?  
  
Tsukishima just shrugged in response as the ring was handed back to him. Pocketing the object, the two tall students gradually fell into a different conversation as they neared their destination.

 

_ _ _  
  
side A  
.  
.  
.  
is this supposed to be a Wunderkammen?  
.  
.  
.  
side B  
_ _ _

  
  
"To-bi-o- chan~!"  
  
He cringed, eyebrows automatically twitching in annoyance. The sound of the voice was annoying, mockingly so. Furtively searching around the stone walls of the castle for a place to hide, Prince Tobio, known to many as Kageyama, quickly rounded about a seemingly tucked corner and entered the first room he saw.  
  
Resting his frame slightly at the wooden door, the raven-haired prince closed his eyes and listened carefully, ears perking up to any subtle shifts and noise. The slaughter of "Tobio-chan"-s rang throughout the deserted corridor and gradually disappeared. Kageyama released a relieved breath he hadn't realized he was holding.  
  
It was then that he actually took note of his surroundings for the first time.  
  
Now Prince Tobio had his fair share of exploring the castle grounds of Aoba Jousai when he was young, oftentimes alone, sometimes accompanied by his older half-brother Tooru. But this marks the first time he saw the room, and if he did see it once, he was surely bound to remember it.  
  
Mainly because it was literally filled with things.  
  
There were various paintings hanging on every inch of the walls: of portraitures and scapes and stills. Multiple tables were laid out in the wide expanse of the room, where trinkets of different shapes and sizes were placed. These amount to different kinds of objects-- accessories, antique weapons, books, figurines, old toys, jewelry and precious stones, and others too many to list down. There were also sculptures of stone, wood, and metal placed tastefully around the place, easily seen yet out of reach to prying hands. The room also held an assortment of cabinets, displaying jars of specimens soaked in liquids, preserved and mounted animals (some of them small, some are heads, some were even fur), and dusty trophies.  
  
And albeit all the dust and clutter, Kageyama's blue eyes went alight with wonder. Similar to a child finding and opening a chest full of treasures, he explored the newfound place, unable to hide his growing excitement.

  
_ _ _

  
  
Half a year has passed since Kageyama's discovery of the artifact-laden room. He has used the place as a sanctuary of sorts; nowadays he uses it whenever he feels the need to express his displeasure, commonly in the form of glaring or snapping harshly at someone. The sight of the organized and well-dusted items (courtesy of himself; he would never let anyone know of the place) calms him down and lets him regain his seemingly lost sense of control. Kageyama picked up a slightly-used rag and started to polish the objects, all the while trying to organize his thoughts.  
  
He had a lot on his plate right now, especially since he is to turn seventeen soon. The kingdom was excited for the upcoming coronation of his brother Tooru, who was two years his elder. Kageyama knew how the flamboyant prince liked to flaunt his prestige and reputation against someone like him. That is why he always steered clear from his brother's sight. He'd be picked on and jeered at by his brother's loyal followers. Kageyama's musings were running rampant as he dusted one isolated cabinet on the far left corner of the room. _Sheesh_ , he added as an afterthought, _this wardrobe is larger than I thought_.  
  
Standing about three to four heads higher and three-and-a-half times wider than himself, it was of warm mahogany, with a cupboard on top, two wide doors in the middle, and three equally-sized drawers below. It was adorned by intricate carvings of swirls and scrolls. Kageyama grasped its metal knobs and opened the doors, expecting to see more curios littering the inside.  
  
Much to his astonishment, there were none to be found. He only saw his dull reflection on the length of the unpolished mirror affixed on the right door.  
  
His silent mulling of the furniture was quickly shattered by the familiar sound of a brass knob creaking. Kageyama's spine tingled when an overly familiar voice rang clear through his sanctuary.  
  
"Tobio-chan! Are you here?"  
  
It was his brother Tooru!  
  
 _I'd rather die than be seen by that fiend_ , he thought.  
  
Swift as lightning, Kageyama entered the empty yet dusty wardrobe (much to his distaste) while silently praying that it can support his weight. He firmly closed the doors and held his breath, hoping that somehow it diminished his presence.  
  
After what seemed like five excruciating minutes, Kageyama heard his brother give up (loudly so) and exit the room. Only after an additional minute of waiting did Kageyama finally decide it clear to get out of the cramped space. While calming himself once more, he did not notice his large golden ring slip off his little finger as he made his way out, his thoughts too preoccupied at his early predicament.

  
_ _ _

  
  
He did notice it a day later, though.  
  
"Why didn't I notice it sooner?!" Kageyama panicked.  
  
It was the first time Kageyama ever misplaced something. And to misplace something as important as his own ring....  
  
His father will get his head.  
  
And so raven-haired Kageyama undertook a secret quest to search for his missing belonging. Thoroughly scouring the castle grounds, he eventually decided to look at his sanctum, where he usually spends his free time.  
  
Remembering the empty cabinet from before and realizing the possibility of his ring being found there, he dashed at the far left corner where the furniture was and hurriedly opened its doors.  
  
But what greeted him except for his reflection was something he knew he hadn't seen before. Curiosity got ahead of him as he gingerly poked at the peculiar object.  
  
Eyes slightly widening, Kageyama deemed it safe and picked it up, cradling it with both hands. It was of extraordinary smoothness, with an amount of flexibility in it when pulled apart slightly. Curved, thin, and as wide as three of his fingers together, it resembled a crown with colors like shiny lemons. What's unusual about the crown, though, are the two black, protruding, soft... are those pillows? on each end. There were even strings attached on it that are thinner than ropes and smooth like pressed rubber. Why was the crown connected with those strings like a necklace? Kageyama's head buzzed at the strangeness of the newfound object, all thoughts of the missing ring puffing away. The only question in his mind was...  
  
 _What is this thing?!_

_ _ _

  
***** to be continued *****


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!
> 
> Ah, this chapter is soo overdue! I'm really sorry!! I hope this isn't too dull... (and I may have butchered the characterization a tad or two). I would like to give huge THANKS!! to all the people who read, kudos'd and commented (I promised myself that I'd reply but noooo I just had to lose internet for November and before I knew it, all's too late). You people are awesome! Please keep on being awesome!!

 

_ _ _

 

Tsukishima is quite meticulous when it comes to his things. He is tidy with his room, ensuring both the decorative and practical purposes of his furnitures (hence his tremendous irritation with the giant wardrobe). His clothes are segregated, folded, and tucked properly, and his stacks of objects are neat and organized. On any ordinary weekend Tsukishima would invite Yamaguchi and the two tall teens would study, play videogames, or just plain hang out in said room.

However, on this particular Sunday, Yamaguchi stood in front of dear Tsukki's doorway, somehow growing pallid with what he laid his eyes at.

"T-Tsukki?"

The state of Tsukki's room was currently anything but meticulous.

Scratch that, it was simply _chaotic_.

It was like a blast of swirling wind swept up the room into one massive pile of disorder. Tsukishima's clothes were scattered about, the floor littered with the blonde boy's books and figurines (his _prized_ dinosaur figurines!). The study table's drawers were overturned and its contents dumped messily on the table, some even spilling to the floor. The bed was even moved from its original position (which might be from an attempt to search its underside), its sheets and covers mussed and pillows scattered about.

And then there was Tsukki, right in front of the haphazardly-flung-open closet, scowling very intently at said closet's interior.

"T- Tsukki...?" The freckled boy tried again, knocking on the door in the process. Tsukishima jerked his head at the sudden noise and his frown slightly loosened at the sight of his friend.

"Ah, Yamaguchi. I'm sorry about the mess."

Something was off with Tsukki today... was it because the creases of his brows from his scowl seemed more pronounced than usual? Or because his eyes looked even narrower? Or the fact that his glasses doesn't seem to be glintin-- oh!

Tsukki's glasses were missing!

Yamaguchi tried to smother a chuckle but a squeak managed to escape. Tsukishima narrowed his-- _snicker_ \-- glasses-less eyes and the freckled brunette almost doubled with laughter then and there.

"Sorry Tsukki!" is what Yamaguchi said instead, trying to regain any semblance of control. "Need some help there?"

"Yeah, sure." Tsukishima sighed and nodded his head in acceptance. "Thanks."

Yamaguchi made a small smile and entered the mess.

 

_ _ _

 

"So... what happened?" Yamaguchi asked as he sat on the newly-fixed bed. The two were now done fixing of the things in Tsukishima's room, for the most part. The bed was made and moved back to its place, the drawers of the study table and its contents reorganized, and stacks of books, CDs, and the figurines replaced on its respective places at the shelf. Tsukishima sat on the floor folding and segregating the remaining clothes.

Tsukishima grimaced, but he couldn't help it. He was nearsighted as hell, so scowling was almost a reflex. It was straining his eyelids and face muscles, though.

"The screws in the frames finally went loose when I was out on an errand this morning. One of the lenses fell out and got really scratched." The other lens flew out when he stumbled in his steps, but he wouldn't say that; Yamaguchi'll make fun of him. "Then I tried searching for my spare but I just can't seem to find it anywhere."

"Hmm... that's unusual of you, Tsukki."

"Don't call me that."

"Sorry~ But wasn't it in the black case from last time? I kinda remember you putting it there."

"I remember that too. I know I placed it in a small bag and then I stuck it in the cabinet." Tsukishima's brows furrowed. "It's the second time this happened."

"What did?" The blonde boy stood up and carried the newly-folded clothes towards the cabinet. As he replaced each article of clothing in its proper place, Tsukishima narrated the 'missing headphones incident', with Yamaguchi intently listening.

 

_ _ _

 

"...then I found the ring, after about two days."

"That certainly is weird." Yamaguchi stood up from his sitting position, moving towards the cabinet. "But you gotta admit Tsukki, it's kind of amazing!"

"Well, for me it isn't." Tsukishima scoffed, now sitting on the chair of the study table. "It's pretty annoying. For such a big piece of furniture, it sure can't hold small things."

"Do you think someone might be stealing your things?" Yamaguchi asked. Knowing Tsukki, he must've thought of the same thing.

"I'm considering that one. But it might be impossible, some of my more valuable things are still here. There's even a ring left."

"Then, is someone pranking you? That might be possible."

"Who would have the guts to pull jokes with me? Even idiots know better than that."

"Still, maybe it's something like a dare game. You know girls these days. But..." Yamaguchi's brows furrow slightly, then a spark of idea hits his brain.

"Oh, I know! Your cabinet must be housing a boggart(1)!"

"Yamaguchi." the blonde warned.

"Just kidding, sorry Tsukki!" Another warning was sent the shorter boy's way, but Yamaguchi paid no heed. "I'm just considering all the possibilities. Maybe we should stake it out tonight."

"We have classes tomorrow."

"But Tsukki, we need to find the culprit!"

There was this excited and hopeful lilt in Yamaguchi's voice that made Tsukishima look at the other through the thin slits his eyes made. He stared at the fuzzy image of the brunette (who even had the audacity to smile, or at least that's what it seemed) and, finally, he closed his lids momentarily in rest from the continuous face muscle-pulling.

"I was afraid you'd say that. Then again, that might be the only thing that would work to sort this mess."

Yamaguchi made a wider smile than before, which was not lost from Tsukishima's unreliable vision.

"Should I get the futon, then?"

"Do what you want." The blonde, glasses-devoid teen stood up from his sitting place and made his way to the door. "I'll get us some tea."

"Do you still need help, Tsukki?" Then a chuckle followed.

"....shut up." He weakly retorted back as he exited.

"I'm sorry!" He heard Yamaguchi yell and finally released the peals of laughter he was holding.

This was going to be one long night.

 

_ _ _

 

"Oh yeah, Tsukki! Will you wear contacts tomorrow? I thought you hated those."

"I have no choice, right?"

" . . . "

" _Yamaguchi._ "

"But I didn't say anything..."

"Yet. But I know you will."

"....sorry Tsukki!"

 

_ _ _

*****

side A

.

.

.

 

is this supposed to be a Wunderkammen?

 

.

.

.

side B

*****

_ _ _

 

_Young Tobio was seven years old when he found out that he was a prince._

_Eating breakfast one day, the king's right hand man entered his humble abode, broke the news about his birth, and Tobio was then asked to move out and live in the castle immediately. It was against his wishes at first, because he was but merely seven years old-- what would happen to him? But Tobio was then told by his own mother to go. He felt betrayed at first, because how could his mother do such a thing? What child would want to part early from his parent? And what mother would willingly let go of her only child? He didn't want to be left in some unknown place, surrounded with unknown people, in a completely different world than what he was used to._

_Nevertheless, he remembered two things his mother left him before they finally parted:_ everything will be clear to him all in due time _and_ absolutely never trust anyone.

_He still recalled the way his mother kept her face stern, gaze sharp, expression almost heartless. She left him no reassuring hugs nor parting kisses. What puzzled him though, was why her hands were trembling when she firmly held his, or why her eyes seemed like pools of liquid silver threatening to spill when she thought he wasn't looking._

_Out of all the memories he had, this was the clearest one he had of her._

 

_ _ _

 

Prince Tobio discovered two new things in the span of three weeks.

The first one was that he found a rather interesting use to the peculiar crown he found in his hidden sanctum.

It happened around four nights ago. Kageyama was in his official bedchambers, hands delicately cradling the object. His calculating eyes noticed that the two black cushion-y pillows attached at the end of the curving crown seemed to resemble _ears_. A sense of triumph overcame him when he finally slid the crown over his head and the pillows covered his ears. It was a snug fit, and to his surprise, the instrument had managed to lessen the noise surrounding him. It made reading reports certainly tranquil and peaceful. Now to find use for the thin rope attached...

Finally the second thing was: there was another item in the giant cabinet.

It was certainly unusual, Kageyama thought. He was in the process of returning the lemon-colored crown in the said cabinet, but the dust... it was making him cringe. That is why he took upon himself to wipe the furniture clean before replacing the crown on its original place. But when he slid open the top drawer, something _thumped_ , making Kageyama abruptly stop in his ministrations.

_Again?_

It turned out to be a black drawstring bag with something in it.

Kageyama was befuddled. He distinctly remembered that he checked every nook and cranny of the cabinet when he went searching for his important ring a few days ago (which was _still_ missing-- luckily nobody took notice _yet_ ). Surely an object such as a pouch should have been seen by then.

The young prince walked towards one of the large windows in the room, and sat on a stool conveniently placed nearby. The weak morning sunlight provided sufficient light that Kageyama decided he needed for his next task.

He loosened the string of the bag and carefully drew out a hard, black, oval canister contained inside. The case rattled softly when Kageyama was moving it; was there still something placed inside?

He dropped the bag at his lap and stared at the case, absently stroking the textured surface with the tips of his fingers. The small metal hinges shone at the sunlight. He turned it around and around his hands, ears slightly perking at the continuous rattling sound it made.

Should he open it? The urge was very tempting. But what if it was a trick? There might be something in it that might bring him potential harm. But how many people knew of his secret place? _Prince Tooru does_ , a voice at the back of his head supplied. But would he actually attempt to--

His musings were halted when a clattering sound echoed throughout the room. Kageyama had not realized that he let the container slip from his hold and land noisily on the floor. The force must have been sufficient though, as the container snapped open and its contents peeked outside.

Silently muttering to himself for losing focus, Kageyama knelt down and picked up the fallen objects. It showed no signs of damage (which made him feel strangely relieved) and finally, gave his attention at the newest item at hand.

Oh. This one was strikingly familiar.

Two rectangular lenses held in a frame made up of unidentified material. There were two movable attachments on both ends of the lenses, slightly bent at a smooth angle. The appearance was different but the major parts were similar to some of the paintings he saw and from what his tutors used.

These were eyeglasses, and its peculiar design was lost on Kageyama(2).

He moved the appendages apart and he flinched slightly when it made a snapping sound. Completely different in what he saw in the paintings, the eyeglasses he knew of had no such parts: it was usually held by the frame with a hand and forced to be placed at the bridge of the nose (Kageyama did not know-- he certainly did _not_ wear glasses).

He held it in front of his face, trying to peer at the lenses. Scrunching up his nose, he slowly inched the glasses towards his face, the thin, bent parts sliding behind his ears and across his temples. Kageyama's steely blue eyes widened as the vision in front of him slowly sharpened until it doubled, and he had not yet realized that he had moved his hands away from the glasses' handles.

The sun suddenly went too bright, the colors very vivid around him. Every little detail of the room, from the ridges of its stone walls to the dust, dust, _dust_ swirling in the air-- seemed to assault his senses, forcing him to look and remember. Kageyama saw it all, and he hasn't even moved from his spot yet! His world was spinning, and it was making him confused!

_This thing's cursed!_ Kageyama fumed. _What kind of sorcery did this accursed object possess?!_ He had to get rid of this immediately!

He shakily reached for the glasses on his face and slowly, almost _painfully_ , managed to pry it away from his eyes. His head was pounding none too gently in his ears. Kageyama took deep lungfuls of breaths as he closed his eyes, still seeing spots behind his lids. It took him minutes to regain his bearings and composure back to normal. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw were the glasses, still in hold. The lenses glinted, as if mocking him for his foolishness.

His eyebrows twitched. Quickly he threw the glasses back in its container and snapped it close in retaliation.

 

\- - -

***** to be continued *****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) A boggart (not the Harry Potter one) is a spirit who lives in houses and sometimes do mischievous stuff, such as making things disappear and disturbing the residents (almost like a poltergeist).
> 
> (2) I imagine Kageyama and co. in this world to live in a 15-16th century setting, almost nearing the age of Enlightenment and glasses and wunderkammens have already existed.
> 
> The plot will finally progress in the next chapter! Yay! Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> In what little knowledge I have, a "wunderkammen" is a "cabinet of curiosities"-- a place/room/even a literal cabinet with a lot of rare and/or unusual objects of historical value, kinda like a mini-museum. But hey, I might be wrong, so feel free to correct me.
> 
> I dunno, I have this feeling that Kageyama is the type of person who's clean with his stuff. I am halfway through the next chapter, so I think I'll be updating in a week or so. Concrit is welcome! Thanks for reading and have a nice day!


End file.
